Its been quite a while since I’ve written anything. This past year I put my head down and gave my all to figuring out exactly what Eenvoud was to be and how to keep it afloat. There is so much that I want to share that has been swirling around in my brain for so long. So here goes.

Our New Model

From the very beginning I did not want to prescribe to the model that most small fashion brands follow – two (or more) full collections each year shown at trade shows to buyers. It all just feels like too much. Too much designing, too much newness, too much waste, too much pressure, too much stress.

I’ve spent a long time trying to figure out how to function (and survive) outside of ‘the system’. Companies like Everlane and Elizabeth Suzanne are doing it beautifully, carving entirely new paths for themselves. While I admire both very much, selling only direct-to-consumer or made-to-order don’t feel entirely right for us. I was stumped for quite a while.

Early last year we came up with a new plan that finally feels right. Instead of full collections, we’re designing just 2-3 new styles per season – for Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Working in this smaller, softer way allows us to think deeply about what we truly want to wear during each unique season and to cut away the rest. Our goal is to create special, sustainably-made essentials for each season – garments that will carry you through the Springs, Summers, Falls and Winters of years to come. Our Spring collection will launch March 1st, followed by Summer on June 1st, Fall on September 1st, Winter on November 15th and onwards.

To Wholesale or Not To Wholesale

Ah, the question. As some of you may have noticed, our prices have fluctuated lately. We’ve flipflopped between wholesaleing or selling only direct-to-consumer more times that I can count. Both have their pros and cons. Wholesaling (selling in stores) opens you up to a much wider audience, but to do so you must have a wholesale margin in your pricing, raising your prices. Selling direct-to-consumer can significantly lower your prices, but makes it more difficult for a small company likes ours to gain traction, especially when we’re only selling online.

Ultimately, part of the vision that I had for Eenvoud years ago was for a woman to walk into a tiny boutique in a remote part of the world (I always pictured Positano, Italy) and discover an Eenvoud garment. There is so much magic to discovering beautiful things, places and people in real life, and that magic has been significantly snubbed lately with the rise of the internet and social media. That real-life discovery feeling is so much a part of enjoying the little things in life (the ethos of Eenvoud), that I can’t imagine us not selling in small boutiques around the world.

So, we’re doing both. We’re selling the garments that can handle a wholesale margin to a select group of stores. And we’re selling our higher priced items only directly to you. This keeps our overall pricing lower, while still allowing Eenvoud to live in stores. Our model and schedule are different, so we’re only selling to shops who will work outside the box with us. We’re currently in Hazel & Rose, O.N.A, THIRTEEN 30, Greenhaus, NEO and are soon to be in Anomiss and Little Black Shop. All of these shops are focused on working with small, sustainable and ethical designers.

Pricing

Our pricing is still higher than we’d like it to be. The organic, natural and recycled fabrics that we’re using are very expensive and our teeny production runs are very costly. As we grow and can begin to place larger orders, our pricing will gradually lower.

I want to be completely transparent about every cell of this company and will be writing a post that breaks down our pricing soon. Stay tuned. For now, please know that every single dollar that we make is put back into the company to keep it and us going.

The Future

So here we are, with a business model that finally feels true to us. There are 4 wonderful little collections on the horizon this year. We put our heart and soul into every single garment and I hope that you’ll love them.

Here’s to new beginnings and and enjoying the little things in life that make it so special.